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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · fall · mug · row · rush · toast · lean · track

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a song
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com